Paper feed mechanism for tabulating or other printing machines



Feb. 7, 1933. A, THOMAS ET AL 1,896,983

PAPER FEED MECHANISM FOR TABULATING OR OTHER PRINTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1933. A. THOMAS ET AL PAPER FEED MECHANISM FOR TABULATING OR OTHER PRINTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 7, 1933. A. THOMAS ET AL PAPER FEED MECHANISM FOR TABULATING OR OTHER PRINTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 7, 1933. A. THOMAS ET AL I 1,896,983

PAPER FEED MECHANISM FOR TABULATING OR OTHER PRINTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 10, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 ARTHUR THOKAS, OF THORNTON HEATH, AND FRANCIS OF WEST OBOYDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE GUY BYDENEAI ENGLISH, ACCOUNTING & TABULATIIG CORPORATION 01 GT. BRITAIN LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND PAPER FEED IECHANISH FOR TABULATING OR OTHER PRINTING MACHINES Application filed January 10, 1930, Serial No. 419,977, and in Great Britain January 21, 1828.

This invention relates to paper feed mechanism for tabulating or the like printing machines.

In tabulating machines the platen is rotated one step after each printing operation.

A tabulator differs from a typewriter in that in the case of a typewriter the carriage after each impression moves longitudinally and the platen is only stepped round in a rotary motion after each line.

In both such forms of printing machines the platen is provided with a ratchet wheel which is actuated by a feed pawl mounted so as to give an adjustable feed.

The tooth s acing on the ratchet wheel is usually equiva ent to the spacing of one line, and the feed pawl is adjustable so as to give a spacing of one to three lines at least. In the tabulator it is usual to permit a rotation of the platen equal to the spacing of four lines.

In a tabulator the feed pawl is operated automatically after each printing operation but me typewriter this is effected by hand.

The main object of the. present invention is to provide an improved means of feeding paper. from a roll or reel to tabulating or like rinting machines of the kinds hereinbeore referred to so that the paper is divided up into definite standard lengths irrespective of the number of line spacing operations effected in each length, that is to say, in printing successively a series of statementsthe means provided according to the invention assure that the commencement of each statement is at an equal distance on the sheet from the commencement of the previous statement and of the statement following though the number of items in each vary.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show paper feed apparatus according to the invention applied to an accounting and tabulating machine of the kind described in British Patent specification N0. 26896/13, U. S. Patent specification No. 1,245,502.

In the drawings I t Figure l is a pictorial view showing such a tabulating machine with paper feeding 7 tion.

mechanism according to the present invention.

Figure 1a is a pictorial view to an enlarged scale of the spring pressed rollers for the bight of paper between the gripper and the platen.

Figure 2 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale showing the o crating control means of the paper feed mec anism.

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged pictorial view more clearly showing the regulating and cut out means for the paper feed mechanism.

Figure 5 shows a modified form of paper feed mechanism.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the tabulator showing the mechanism for actuating the line spacin mechanism.

In the rawings like reference numerals designate same or similar parts.

The accounting and tabulating machine generally indicated by the reference T comprising a platen P mounted in a carriage C carried in the machine frame and line spacing mechanism enforcing a step-by-step rotation of the platen after each rinting operas The pawl and rate et ear (not shown) of the line spacing mfec anism, is actuated from a cam disc 42 driven from shaft 14 carrying a pin 42a moving in the slot of a link 43 (Fig. 6) pivoted at 43a in the machine frame and carrying a projection 43b which bears against a spring influenced lever 44 ivoted on the machine frame and connected by rod 44a to an arm 44?) secured to a shaft 41 carried by the carriage C which shaft carries an arm (not shown) which moves the pawl to actuate the platen ratchet a line space. Such an arrangement is well known and forms no part of the present invention.

The aper on which the tabulator prints is in the orm of a roll indicated at B mounted in a bracket R carried on the machine frame, the paper passing between rails on the carria e C, under and around the platen P, bac again between the rails and thence over the back of the machine. In accordance with the present invention the paper, before passfrom the paper, grippers are retracted itlownwardly) to ing over to the back ofthe machine is taken up between the integers of a gripping device hereafter described by which the paper is fed at predetermined intervals over the platen by the grippers pulling the paper which has passed the platen.

The paper feeding means which so pulls the paper over the platen according to this invention includes gripping fingers 1 conveniently carried on a rocking bar 2, carried by blocks 2a, slidably supported on posts 3, carried by the head of the tabulating machine T above the carriage C thereof, the rocking bar 2 being connected to one end of a lever 6 connected by a short arm 4a hinged to a rod 4 in turn connected by hinge pins 5 to lever 6, the other end of which lever is carried on a fixed pivot 7, as for example mounted on a bracket 8 carried by the frame of the machine. This lever is rocked in any suitable manner to cause the fingers to grip the paper by enforcing a longitudinal displacement of the connecting rod 4 and the consequential rocking of the bar 2 carrying the grippers 1, which then moves on to a guide bar 9 (see Figure 2) carried by .the blocks 2av on the posts 3 aforesaid, so that-paper therebetween is gripped between the bar 9 and the grippers, the lever then enforcing a lateral displacement, upwardly of gripper 1 with the paper, for the predetermined interval of length of the paper.

At the end (top) of the stroke the gripper 1 is retracted from the bar 9, that is free and then, the bar and the initial position ready for the next long feed stroke (upward).

In one form. of the invention the lever 6 is slotted as indicated at 6a and passes over a pin 10 carried on a disc 11 so that on rotation of the disc the lever 6 is oscillated about its fixed pivot 7.

The disc is provided at the back with a clutch device by which the disc can be connected at will to a continuously rotating shaft 14 by which it can be rotated. To this end the disc may be provided with a plunger 12 pressed by a spring 12a into the path of an actuating arm 13 fixed to the shaft 14 on which the disc 11 is loosely mounted so that the disc is rotated from the shaft by the agency of the constantly rotated arm 13 thereon engaging the spring pressed plunger 12 carried by the disc when the plunger is standing in the path of the arm.

On rotation of the disc 11 the lever 6 is rocked, the paper gripped by the fingers 1 and displaced an amount corresponding to the throw of the pin 10, the fingers being then retracted from the paper and returned to initial position shown in Fig. 1. a

To this end the plunger 12 may be provided with a lug 12?) under which engages an inclined plane 15 carried on a trip 16 pivot/ed hinge the bar 9 and the P at 17 on the face of the disc 11, the trip be-.

In printing invoices it is desirable to send.

the grippers on an excursion at the end of an invoice. In a tabulating machine the end of an invoice is accompanied by a total taking operation in which the items printed in the invoice are added in the machine and the total printed. Accordingly the arm 6 must be actuatedafter each total taking operation.

The total taking mechanism of an accounting and tabulating machine as illustrated in the drawings is actuated from a rocking shaft, usually termed a total taking shaft, by hand or automatically as described in U. S. patent specifications No. 1,236,481 and No. 1,245,506 or No. 1,376,555 respectively. In the drawings hereto the total taking shaft is indicated at 1811. This shaft 18a is provided with an arm 18b pivotally connected at 180 to a link 18, the other end of this link 18 being pivotally connected by a pin 18f to an arm 18c, which arm is fixed to a shaft 18d carried in the machine frame and on which latter shaft is mounted means to free the printing elements of the machine to print a total as described in U. S.

atent specification No. 1,236,481.

The link 18 at the side of the machine is provided with an arm 19, see Fig. 4, which, when the link is moved engages an abutment member-in the form of a lever 20, loosely pivoted at 21 in a bracket 22 carried on the machine frame, the end of which is provided with a nose 20a standing in the path of the trip 16, thereby as the trip passes the nose 20a the trip is rocked, and by-the agency of the inclined plane wedges the spring pressed plunger 12 back into disengaging power position, and holds it there until the arm 13 has passed the plunger 12.

On the engagement of the arm 19 on the side total link with the lever 20 the nose of the latter is moved out of the path of the trip 16, consequently the spring pressed plunger stands in the path of the rotating arm 13 carried by the shaft 14, thereby the disc 11 is rotated and the gripper 1 operated from the disc as hereinbefore described.

A great many invoices and like documents contain but one item only the amount of which necessarily also is the total. Accordingly, it may be required to leave the trip 16 in disengaging position as regards the plunger 12 so that at every rotation of the shaft 14 the disc and the gripper are actuated. To this end, the lever 20 is preferably provided with a cut out latch hereafter referred to, whereby the control of the gripper can be varied. In such an arrangement the rotation of the disc 11 is synchronous with the platen P so that the gripper 1 moves the sheet through the carriage at predetermined intervals after tion, accordingly then the each item has been printed. There is thus a clear differential movement, the carriage moves one line space after printing, but the pa r oes on moving to the full extent impe led y the gripper, for an ordinary statement say 8 inches.

To this end' the bracket 22 is notched, having three notches, and on the bracket is freed ly pivoted an operating lever 23 formed with a tooth 24 to engage in one or other of the notches on the quadrant 22. On the operatlng lever 23 is also formed a In 25 which, when the tooth 24 is on the to 0% the quadrant, holds a head26 on the ever 20 from falling, hence the lug 25 maintains the lever 20 out of engagement with the tri 16, so that the disc 11 is rotated with the s aft 14 and the long feed continuously actuated.

In the middle notchposition of the operating lever the lug 25 carried thereby disoses the head 26 of the lever 20 so that the atter is disposed to engage the tri 16 each time the actuating arm 13 on the shaft 14 is approaching the spring pressed plunger 12, thereby the plunger 12 is retracted and the disc is not operated, hence the ipper mechanism is cut out of operation altogether.

In order that this sett ng shall not be interfered with by the movement of the arm 19 when a total taking operation is being effected, the head 26 is preferably slotted as indicated at 26a so that in this position the arm 19 of the link 18 merely moves freely in and out of the head at each totalling operaarm 19 hits or misses the head 26 according to the setting of the latter. y

In the lowermost ition of the operating lever the head 26 oftl ie lever 20 is disposed in the path of the arm 19 of the link 18 so that at each total stroke of the machine the lever 20 is tilted out of the path of the trip 16 so that the plunger 12 is left in the path of the actuating arm 13 and the gripper is actuated on every revolution of the shaft 14.

From the foregoing it will beseen that the disc 11 which moves the lever 6 to operate the connecting rod 4 of the gripper 1 operates the gripper, once for each revolution of the shaft 14 on which the disc is mounted, unless the lever 20 engages the trip 16, the operation each time being first rocking the bar 2 carrying the gripper 1 to hold the paper against the guide bar 9, then the feed (upward) movement of the gripper on the bar 9 with the paper therebetween followed by the release of the paper by the retraction of the gripper 1 from the bar 9, and then the retraction of the gripper with the bar along the paper.

The operating lever 23 aforesaid adjacent a quadrant 22 conveniently comprised in a bracket 22a carried on the frame of the machineis used onlyfor a regulating operation to the extent of varying the intervals of eperation of the gripper 1 from the limits of non-operation to working at every rinting operation. In the construction described, the operatin lever 23 in its highest sition on the qua rant 22 prevents the trip 16 from bein operated so that the disc 11 is rotated sync ronously with the shaft 14. In the m dle position the lever 20 is brought into position to engage the trip 16 so that the gripper 1 is never operate and in this position the arm 19 on the link 18 rides freely in and out of the slot 26a of the head 26 of the lever 20 at each totalling operation, and in the lowermost pos'tion the head 26 of the lever 20 is permitted to'stand in the path of the arm 19 on the link 18 so that only when the total stroke is effected is the gripper 1 permitted to o erate.

The bloc s 2a carrying the gripper 1 are preferably provided with pinions 2b which ride on teeth of rack formation indicated at 3b, provided on the posts 3. thereby lateral movement of the bar 9 and the gripper is easily attained in a simple and effective manner.

To assure that the paper adjacent the gripper 1 shalL take up a position in line with the movement of the gripper, there is disposed above the carriage a guide 27 see Fig. 1) provided with spring controlled rollers 28 wh'ch maintain the paper taut from this guide to the gripper 1. The bight 1n the paper formed as the tabulator works occurs between this guide 27 and the carriage C. The guide 27 is conveniently mounted .in trunnions 27a supported in a bracket B carrying the roll of paper R fixed to the machine frame (Fig. 1a) and carries a projection 27b adapted to engage with a lug 27 a, formed in a lever 27 d. p voted at 27 e in the bracket B. A spring 27 f secured at one end to the projection 27b and anchored at the other end 279. normally maintains the guide 27 and the lever 27 d in the full line or operative position. When it is desired to release the pa;- per from the rollers 28, the lever 27d is turned into the chain line position. With the lever 27 d n this position the platen will feed the paper forward step by step and no bight will be formed.

Although spring pressed rollers have been referred to as a means for forming a bight in the paper,'any other means may be provided, for instance, the paper may be caused to pass through a tortuous path involving a plurality of rollers.

The paper passed from the grippers may be taken over a rail 300 which connects the top of the posts 3 and on to a re-winding roller indicated at b which may conveniently be actuated from a spring controlledratchet wheel aactuated by a pin a1 passing over the roll and connected to the arm 4 which actuates the gripping device by a short arm (1 indie cated in Fig. 1, but thi no part of the present in In constructions accor invention a roll of paper 1s pm 5 succession of forms such as which a varying number of is printed. The it nary line spacing the paper is fed b of the next form; the di the di'fierence between occupied by the printed i.

of the stroke of the grippers.

The paper feeding me described affords a metho of printing and columns formed tive of the items 1 advantage of statements or invoices tems are equally spaced from one ore leaving a space f a column and the herein a heading especia printing the first 1 another, always theref between the last item 0 first item of the next, w may be printed.

The normal feed laten P may be cons et mechanism not show of which are actuated throu not shown, from from a rotating trically disposed pin 4 slotted link 43 pivoted at one e 11, to the frame T.

for the p and ratch projection 43?) w lever 44 connecte short arm 44?), secu The lever is caus 40 of the projection 4 not shown so that as shaft 41 is also rocke ated to rotate the platen.

What we claim is: 1. A printing ma provided wi prising in co parallelly w guides for the bar arrang verse to said platen an thereto, of bearings member hinged for reciprocating sai connected eccentrically whereby in one finger mem grip paper forced aong sa tained, and

ment the from said s construction forms ding to the presen nted giving a tatements on varying items ted with ordie total stroke to the head t is fed being the number of lines tems and the length ems are prin but after th y the grippe nism as herein d of feeding sheets s in successive of definite lengths irrespecin each column, and an for the mechanism is the of which like machine step mechanism tituted by pawl 11, the pawls bell cranks, a shaft 41 which is rocked, disc 42, carrying an eccen- Qa engaging in a nd 43a, Fig.

43a of this link carries a hich bears agains d through a ro red to the shaft 41.

d to followthe movement 3?) by means of :a spring 01011, a bar disposed pa the link 43 rocks, the d and the-pawls actut a pivoted d 44a to a hine including a platen cing mechanism; commbination w1th a bar disposed ith the machine platen and ed in a plane transd at right angles d bar, a finger id bearings and means d bar along said guides to said finger member f movement the first rocked to said bar to 'therebetween and the direction 0 n the bar th the grip mainer direction of moveis first retracted finger member turned to initial bar and then re position with said bar.

2. In a tabulating or adapted to print acc a .statistical card an like printing machine ts on the passage 0 (1 having total taking in a pl right angles ther finger member hi means transmitting to said bar from sai nected to said finge finger member is pus from said platen a and returned to luti on of the disc.

3. In a tabulating or ted to print accoun ard and having luding a total tak adap astatistical c mechanism inc combination with a disc freely moun driven shaft 0 driven shaft, carried on the the path of tl on said disc, a settable a adapted to roc the d sc and re path of the arm, an op tween said abutment an shaft, whereby th of the path of the trip 0 chine platen, guid a plane transverse angles thereto, bear member hinged 111 Sal transmitting a reciproc bar from said d said finger member, her is pushed in a d platena predete to initial position on ea disc.

4. In a tabulatl adapted to print ac a statistical mechanism -the combination with of a disc freely mounted on a c driven shaft of the machine, an a ft, a spring pressed plunger cardisc and disposed in the path of pivoted on said disc, t normally adapted to rock tation of the disc and re from the path of the arm, a slotted head on said abutment, an arm on driven sha ried onthe the arm, a trip m a settable abutmen the trip on the r tract the plunger mechanism including combination with the to disc freely mou shaft of the machine, a driven shaft ing means for connection between and said disengaging means, clutch may be engage ing shaft or c gaged, a bar disposed machine platen, guide f ane transverse eto, beari nted on a con and the disc,

said clutch inc out] nuous .iitial positi f the machine, an arm on said a spring pressed plunger and disposed in a trip member pivoted butment normally k the trip on the rotation of tract the plunger from the erative connection bed the total taking nt may be set out n a total taking operarallelly with the mathe bar arranged in to said platen and at right ings on 'said bar, a finger d bearings, and means ating motion to said trically connected to whereby the finger memirection away from said rmined amount and returned ch revolution of the disc e arm,

e abutme es for isc eccen mg or like counts on ember a total taking shaft, the

tal taking shaft of a tinuously driven ch between said settable disengagluding a settable taking shaft whereby the (1 total takngaged or enparallelly With the the bar arranged to said :platen and at ngs on said bar, a nged in said bearings, and a reciprocating motion (1 disc eccentrically conr member, whereby the hed in a direction away predetermined amount on on each revolike printing machine ts on the passage of total taking ing shaft, the the total taking shaft of ted on a continuously printing machine the passage of nd having total taking including a total taking shaft, the total taking shaft ontinuously total taking shaft, a link mounted for reciprocation connected to said am, a projection on said link disposed to move 1n and out of the slotted head when the link is reciprocat- 5 ed, means for holding the settable abutment with its head in the path of said projection or with its slot co-incident therewith whereby the abutment may be actuated or not on a total taking operation, a bar disposed parallelly with the machine platen, guides for the bar arran ed in a plane transverse to said platen am? at right angles thereto, bearings c on said bar, a finger member hinged in said bearings, and means transmitting a reciproeating motion to said bar from said disc eccentrically connected to said finger member whereby the fin er member is pushed in a direction away rom said platen a predetermined amount and returned to initial position on each revolution of the disc.

5. In a tabulating or like printing machine adapted to print accounts on the passage of a statistical card and havin total taking mechanism includin a total ta 'ng shaft, the combination with t e total taking shaft of a disc freely mounted on a continuously driven shaft of the machine, a clutch between said driven shaft and the disc, settable disenga ing means for saidclutch including a settab e connection between the total taking shaft and said disengaging means whereby the clutch may be engaged from said total takin shaft or continuously disengaged or en age a bar disposed parallelly with the mac ine platen means disposed between said bar and sai platen for holding stationary the aper which has passed the platen, whereby alright of paper is formed, guides for the bar arranged in a plane transverse to said platen and at right angles thereto, bearings on said bar, a finger member hinged in said bearings, and means transmitting a reciprocatin motion to said bar fromsaid disc eccentrically connected to said finger member,,whereby the p finger member is pushed in a direction away tures.

from said platen a predetermined amount and returned to initial position on each revolution of the disc.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa- ARTHUR moms. nmcls cur SYDENHAI zucusa. 

